embrace
by hakomakura
Summary: Roxas looks to Axel for comfort. AU akuroku renocloud if you squint really really really hard.


Axel packed up the rest of his equipment, shoving each item not-so-lovingly into its respective cubby (for lack of a better word) and sighed irritated. Riku had left about a half hour earlier, and Demyx had practically sprinted of the stage and out the door once they were done with their last set. Axel still wasn't sure of the reason; '_maybe it had something to do with that weird dude that was standing in the doorway'_, he thought; he'd interrogate the blonde later. All the same, Axel was left to pack up_ all_ the gear, by himself.

The pub was barely alive, there was a straggler at the end of the bar slowly nursing his drink but besides him it was barren.

The red head strutted out of the 'dressing room' (more like a janitor's closet, but who was he to complain it was a gig) after he'd finished locking up and took a place at the bar. He slapped the well-finished wood with his calloused fingers, and a mane of red spike, close to his own appeared. Reno had been crouching under the bar, putting away newly cleaned glasses. He flashed a quick smile, and then went back to cleaning off the bar.

"Get me a drink bar keep." Axel demanded, half joking.

"You're under age." Reno said simply without turning toward Axel.

"You don't know that." Axel said defiantly. Reno paused and turned on his heel.

"I'm your brother."

Axel froze, and made a fake shocked gasp. "Give me evidence! I want a blood test!" he started screaming over dramatically, slapping the counter again. Reno stared at him and shook his head lightly.

"You stupid flamer." Reno muttered, just loud enough for his sibling to hear him.

"Hey, just 'cause I set fire to the carpet twice, doesn't mean"— Axel was cut of before he could finish.

"That's not what I was talking about…" Reno said in a sing-song voice, Axel paused then realized what his brother was hinting at. His cheeks tinted pink as he spoke.

"That was once"—

"Three times," Reno chimed in.

"Three times you caught me on the couch with Roxas." Axel said with the little dignity he had left.

"Then twice in your bedroom."

"That's my room; I can do what I want!"

"Then four times in _my _bedroom…"

"Uh..yea…well your bed is more comfortable..." Axel stammered.

"Then there was that time in the kitchen," Reno looked away a moment and rubbed his chin, "I still don't know how you managed that…" he looked back at Axel, "All know is I couldn't eat out of the fridge for days."

"Fine, you win." Axel said in defeat, sighing loudly. He tapped his fingers idly on the bar and looked around the room, watching the flickering bug light by the door.

Reno stepped around the counter and started to clear the tables, placing all the candles into a clean dish tub he had balanced on his hip, flipping the chairs upside down with his free arm. "Let me help you with that." Axel said with another smirk, jumping from his stool he started flipping the chairs.

"What do you want?" Reno asked exasperatedly, the only reason that Axel would willingly help him was for his own gain of some sort.

"A drink." Axel said, his teeth gleaming.

"Fine," Reno gave in, "finish all the tables first." He shoved the tub into Axel's boney arms and walked to the bar. "What do you want?" he asked over his shoulder.

"A screaming orgasm on the beach," Axel guffawed tossing the last chair on the table top. When Reno didn't seem to think the joke was as funny as Axel did, he stifled his laughter and sat back down at the bar. "I don' know what's good here." Axel tried to slyly cover up his complete lack of knowledge of alcoholic beverages, give him a cold Dr. Pepper and some pot any day.

"Try something simple first." Reno ducked back under the bar, and pulled out a bottle, a shot glass, salt shaker and a lime.

"Uh...this doesn't look simple." Axel said, hesitantly.

"Lick-sip-suck." Reno said. Axel looked at him like he had a monkey on his face. "Ok here, lick," Reno licked his hand and sprinkled some salt on it, licking that off as well, "sip," he poured a shot then downed it quickly, "and suck," he said in a wheeze, biting into the lime. "Now you try." Reno re-filled the glass and pushed it toward Axel along with the salt and a new lime piece.

"Ok," Axel breathed, "Lick," he winced at the bitterness of the salt, "sip," he shook his head against the sting of the liquor, "and suck." He sucked the lime dry.

----

Axel woke the next morning the room was spinning and his face felt like it was going to explode. He clenched his head and sat up, regretting it immediately. His first hangover; not something he wanted to mark down in his baby book.

Ok, so Axel had on a few occasions had a beer or two, when he was at a party with friends or what not. But unlike most people, he knew when to stop and never had enough to still feel it the next morning. The previous night had turned into competition, after Axel tried another shot, slowly getting used to the burn, he challenged Reno to dual. '_Not the smartest move.' _Axel thought rolling out of bed, rubbing between his eyes, before he put on his glasses.

Reno was already in the kitchen when the other managed to stubble downstairs in his pajamas. A steaming cup of coffee was sitting on the counter, with two aspirin lying next to it. Axel popped them in and took slow sips of the hot liquid.

"How'd we get home last night?" Axel asked his voice gravely.

"I've mastered the art of drunk driving," Reno said smiling, Axel jerked his head up with wide eyes, "I'm kidding, I called a friend. He owed me a favor." Axel nodded and continued drinking his coffee in silence. Another ten minutes or so and Reno spoke up.

"Oh, by the way, that Roxas kid called like _four_ times while you were sleeping. I just said that you'd call him back." Axel speed off down the hall so fast Reno swore he saw a cloud of smoke behind him.

----

Axel jumped onto his bed, the springs whining in protest, he grabbed his phone, charging on the floor as usual and held in the speed dial.

"Yo." A familiar voice said.

"Hey Roxie." Axel said smoothly.

"Axel!" Roxas exclaimed, "I called you like six times." He whined Axel could imagine his bottom lip puckering.

"Sorry, I was sleeping. So what did you want?" Axel asked. He tugged on a fraying string of his comforter, and twisted it around his finger until it started to tinge purple. The strange sensation of not being able to feel the tip of his finger was amusing and he began to poke at random items near by. CD, CD _player_, hairbrush, moogle plushie, stack of porn. The feeling slowly came back, with a sharp needle like tingles.

"Axel?" Roxas asked, he sounded annoyed. "Have you listened to _anything _I've said?"

Axel waited a moment before he spoke, "um…something about sewing class?" he asked desperately pulling something out of his ass.

"No," Roxas said with in an annoyed tone, "I was _talking_ about my _dad_. He's coming home tomorrow! Do you know what that means?" Roxas waited.

"um…" Axel gulped, "no."

"I haven't seen him in two months. God I can't wait! His plane is getting in tomorrow morning and then he's driving down here, this time tomorrow I'll get to see him again." Roxas was practically gleaming he was so happy, and Axel was happy for him. He knew that Roxas had a strong relationship with his dad; he was almost all Roxas talked about. True Axel was a little envious, living with just his brother, meanwhile Roxas had the entire package perfect family, two older brothers, a annoying younger sister and loving parents; Christ they even had the family dog to complete the whole set.

"I suppose you'll be spending all day with the fam' tomorrow, so want to hang out today?" Axel suggested after Roxas finished spouting every detail he could about his excitement.

"Surely." Roxas said, "the usual?" he asked with a smile.

"I'll make the food, if you bring the movies."

----

"Jared Leto is so fucking hot." Roxas declared grabbing another handful of popcorn and shoving it gracefully into his mouth. He had brought over a bunch of his own movies, but Axel had dubbed them 'chick flicks' and stated that 'they would taint his DVD player' so they were on the couch watching _Lord of War_, a more manly and robust movie.

"Hey." Axel bleated, poking Roxas in the side.

"What? I'm not aloud to lust after inhumanly hot people? Come on, he's sexy, even with coke all over his nose…actually that might make him hotter." Roxas turned slightly toward Axel and smiled at him; Axel merely glared. Roxas grinned and pecked him on the lips before he could protest and snuggled closer to his side. "Jesus, how many more times do we have to watch Nicolas Cage have sex?" Roxas complained turning away, pulling his blanket over his head.

"Ok Rox, it's over." Axel informed the younger blonde, currently burrowing into his side. Roxas looked back at the screen, and with a squeak hid back under the quilt.

"You lying liar, there still at it." Axel let out a bark of laughter, then a yelp of pain when he felt a pair of teeth sink into his side.

"You little slut, you just bit me." Axel lifted the blanket, and in one swift movement flipped Roxas on his back, straddling the blonde.

"You started it." Roxas said, imitating a young child, "just because you can't control your jealously."

"Says the boy who nearly punched the checkout girl at the Wegmans last week," Axel said mockingly.

"Hey, she was blatantly flirting with you; she might as well of just shoved her hand down your pants." Roxas said turning his head away; trying to avoid Axel's piercing eyes.

"Come on, you know I only have eyes for you." Axel said kissing Roxas' exposed neck.

"Fuck Axel." Roxas sighed turning toward the other with a soft smile, "that was cheesy," though it didn't stop them from viciously making out until the ending credits.

----

Axel woke up around noon the next day, Reno had gone to meet someone, something about the bar adding a delivery service or something, (they did serve some food during the day) Axel wasn't really paying attention. He thought about calling Roxas but remembered that it was family fun day and settled for staring at his phone, waiting for someone to call him.

----

The rain poured down miserably, hitting the windows like sheets of rock, pounding against them in a rhythmic pattern. Axel was sitting upside down on his couch flicking through the channels, his glasses kept sliding off his nose, he thought about getting up to put in his contacts but that would require movement so he settled for blurry cartoons.

He'd tried calling Demyx but all he got was the machine, and he was too scared to call Larxene, last time things didn't turn out so pretty. Another hour went by and Axel nearly broke his nose getting off the couch when he heard the doorbell.

Axel bounded to the door with a bright smile. Hell even if it was the mail man he was gearing up to start a long conversation with him, thinking of questions he could ask. _'Do you deliver your own mail? Or does another mail man deliver it for you? But then who delivers his mail? Is it just a continual chain of mail men that never ends? But that wouldn't make much sense would it? Where did you get that cool outfit? Can I get one?'_

Instead of the plump mustached man he was expecting, he opened the door and was met with a soaking wet Roxas. His hair was messy and dripping, almost flat for the first time Axel had seen it. It was sticking to his face and neck, hiding his features from view. He looked like a statue, just standing in the doorway; the only sign of movement was an occasional shiver.

"Rox?" Axel murmured. "Roxas…hello?" Axel waved his hand in front of the blondes face trying to get a reaction.

"I…I d-didn't know where else to go." Roxas finally choked out, stammering over his words at first.

"Rox, what are you talking about?" Axel stared at the boy confused; he finally looked up at Axel, his eyes puffy and red, and his face pale.

Axel was almost thrown off balance when Roxas wrapped his arms around Axel. With out caring that his clothes were getting soaked from Roxas', Axel returned the embrace and held the blonde as tightly as he could. Roxas started to sob, Axel's shirt muffling his cries. Axel didn't want to move, but he couldn't just stand in the door way like that, the rain was still pouring and there was a light spray still hitting them. He began to move toward the couch and without hesitation Roxas followed, still holding tightly to him.

They sat down and Axel gave Roxas a blanket to wrap himself in. "Rox, how did you get here?" he asked worry in his tone, Roxas' eyes shifted nervously around the room then back to Axel, staring into his emerald eyes.

"I just didn't want to be there, they were all too sad, I couldn't take it. So…I j-just ran, and this…this is where I ended up."

"You…you ran!?" Axel nearly shouted with surprise, Roxas flinched back at his sudden outburst. "That's nearly two miles, and it's pouring rain outside! Are you crazy?" this time purposefully yelling at the blonde. "You could get sick, or worse, the roads hardly have sidewalks what would've happened if someone skidded? Roxas what were you thinking!"

"My dad died!" Roxas screamed back at him, throwing off his blanket and trying to match the red head's stature.

"What?" Axel said, his expression changing completely.

"That's why I came here, because I can't stand being around my family right now! I came here because I thought you would understand you ignorant bastard!" Fresh tears pooled over the blondes eyes as he spoke. "Fuck." He choked out.

"Roxas…" Axel whispered, looking at him caringly, he reached out his hand and brushed Roxas' shoulder, the younger boy drew back from the contact, but Axel ignored it and pulled him into another hug. Roxas didn't fight it this time; he just fell into the drummer's arms, the emptiness that was absorbing him starting to ebb away.

----

Reno walked into the door, and threw his keys on the kitchen counter, Axel was pacing the kitchen floor murmuring something into the phone, when he noticed Reno he merely put a finger to his lips and tilted his head toward the couch. Roxas was curled up on it, sound asleep, wrapped in a blanket. When Reno tried to ask what was going on, Axel shook his head and continued talking into the phone.

"Call me if you need anything at all. Ok. No it's no problem at all. Ok, sure. I'm really sorry again Mrs. Strife. Ok. Bye." Axel hung up the phone and walked over to Reno, who had perched himself on the counter.

"What's going on?" he whispered.

Axel glanced over at Roxas for a moment, then started to pick at the worn off nail polish on his thumb. "Roxas' father died this morning." He said simply. Reno looked slightly shocked but tried to hide it.

"Poor kid, how'd it happen?" He asked.

"Apparently, he was on his way back from the airport and his car crashed. His mom wasn't really up to talking about the details."

Reno nodded his head, "I wouldn't expect that she would. Is he going to stay here?" he said glancing over at the blonde.

"That's why I called, apparently he just disappeared; they all thought he was in his room, up until about an hour ago. She said that he could stay as long as he needed, and that they'd call." Reno nodded again and walked to the fridge, grabbing a beer.

"I'll be in my room, want me to get out some extra sheets, I can make up the couch. I mean, once the little dude wakes up…" Axel shook his head no, "Ok, well yell for me when you want dinner." Axel nodded and Reno walked down the hall.

"Axel…" Roxas murmured, the red head walked over and crouched down next to the couch.

"Hey babe, need anything?" Roxas half-smiled and pulled Axel down for a slow kiss, a moment later the flamer pulled away and rested his forehead against Roxas', "need anything else?" he said quietly brushing his thumb over Roxas' cheek as he spoke.

"Can I just sleep forever?" Roxas finally said, he turned away from Axel and stared at the back of the couch.

"You got to get up sometime." Roxas looked at him, his crystal eyes still watery. "I'm not saying now, just sometime."

Roxas sat up on the couch, and looked around for a minute, "What time is it?" he asked, running his hand through his hair.

"About four."

"I should probably call my par—mom." Roxas said, hesitating. He began to get off the couch, but Axel held him in place.

"I already called her; she said you can stay here as long as you want." Roxas smiled at Axel and kissed him ardently, pulling away only to wrap his arms around the red head. Axel returned the hug, kissing him lightly on the neck. There chest pressed flush together, Axel could feel Roxas' heartbeat with his and he was sure that the blonde felt the same. Roxas pushed back a rested his forehead against their noses brushing.

"I love you." Roxas whispered, his eyes still closed, his fingers were trembling as they brushed over Axel's collar bone. The red head looked at Roxas, their faces were so close the blonde was blurry but he could still make out the curve of his flushed cheeks, and his lidded eyes. Axel nodded his head only just and smiled,

"Yeah," he said softly, "I'm pretty keen on you too." Roxas smiled and pulled him in for another kiss.

_-finis-_

chokes and dies on fluff


End file.
